Health Department hears cesspool concerns

Most people testifying Thursday evening about proposed rules aimed at reducing cesspools in the state agreed that protecting water quality is important. But many objected to what they considered draconian measures to accomplish it.

About 40 people attended a hearing in Hilo held by the state Department of Health as it considers rules that would prohibit construction of any new cesspools. It was the last of a series of hearings before the department decides whether to forward the rules to the governors office.

Rules would also require property owners to convert cesspools to septic systems within 180 days after sale of the property and reduce from 50 to 15 the number of dwellings in a subdivision before a centralized septic system is required.

Barbara Bell, in testimony, said she supported several parts of the rules, while she had concerns about the implementation of other parts.

Weve been waiting a very long time for this, said Bell, a former director of the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management.

Bell called the prohibition against new cesspools a no-brainer, but said there should be some kind of carrot, not just a stick, such as tax breaks for homeowners converting existing cesspools to septic systems.

But several Keaukaha residents said the countys current centralized sewer system isnt so clean either. The county was recently cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a failing outfall system that is leaking sewage into the nearshore waters east of Hilo Bay.

John McBride, who lives in Keaukaha, said the individual cesspools in the neighborhood havent caused problems. The problems came about when the county started consolidating the sewage and sending it to his neighborhood, he said.

I get to smell it, I get to taste it in the water, McBride said.

State Rep. Richard Onishi, D-Hilo, Keaau, Kurtistown, Volcano, questioned the process of developing the rules, saying the Health Department should have involved stakeholders early in the formulation of the rules, rather than presenting them as a fait accompli.

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Health Department hears cesspool concerns